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The History of Running Sports

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The History of Running Sports

Running is a simple sport; it can be done by any age group and with minimal equipment required. A pair of good running shoes is all that is required. The sport of running has a very interesting history. Most people agree that it started in ancient Greece during the Olympic Games and then changed and was adapted to resemble its modern form that we see today. There are many different types of running events that are done competitively and each of them is unique while retaining the basics of running at their core. Sports such as the relay race, cross country running and marathons are all sports that are practised today.

The ancient Olympic Games were the starting point and originator of most modern athletic sports. Sports such as discus throwing, shot put, javelin and all the running sports all started during the Olympic Games. The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC and according to legend a lowly cook from a nearby city competed in a 600 metre race and won the event. It was the first athletic event to feature in the early Games. There is even evidence, although not conclusive, of prizes being found for events even earlier than 776 BC.

Slowly the running events in the Olympics evolved and became more formalised until they were an indispensable part of the Games. The modern track and field events can be traced to America in the 1860s when the first athletic events were held. Later these events got a formal structure when the Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletics of America held their first track and field event in 1873. The event proved to be popular and soon spread across the country to different associations until it had become a sport. What is interesting to note here is that in its early days, track was considered an amateur sport and athletes were not given cash prizes for winning or even money for training purposes. It must have been very hard to be a professional runner in those early days of the sport.

Cross country running originated in England in the early 19th century. It followed on from an earlier game called 'hare and hounds' or the 'paper chase'. This game was a very fun affair with one team of runners leaving a trail of pieces of paper on the ground for another team of runners to follow, find and run after. This could also be where the phrase, 'paper trail' comes from in modern language. This sport turned from being a fun activity to a proper sport in 1837 when the first formal event took place at Rugby School and was called the Crick Run. With the popularity of the sport rising among people, it soon spread to the biggest universities in England at the time; Oxford and Cambridge. In 1876 the first national cross-country championships were held in England. Other university competitions were held and then in 1878, the sport migrated to America and became very popular in the universities of that country. This nicely coincided with the early track and field events that were taking place in America in the 1870s.

Another type of running sport, the marathon also had its origins in ancient times. The legendary story of the beginnings of the marathon relates to ancient Persia and the year 490 BC. The story tells of a fleet of 25,000 soldiers that the King of Persia sent to crush an Athenian revolt that was going on at the time. The Persians were met by 10,000 Athenians at the ancient city of Marathon and a fierce battle ensued. During the battle some Persians moved towards Athens. The Athenians dispatched a runner with news of the imminent attack on Athens. The runner ran in extremely high temperatures and extreme conditions but managed to reach the city, warn the residents of the attack before collapsing and dying. The marathon is run today in honour of that heroic endurance run.

Looking at any modern running event, we would find them simple and ordinary. Moreover going into their origins and histories we find some very interesting tales and stories. People leaving trails of paper to be found and runners crossing vast distances in defence of their city are legends and we should all look a little bit more in depth at running events. We might find some very interesting tales.

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